Electric ground clamp



June 16, i925. 1,542,074

w. s. MAYER ELECTRIC GROUND CLAMP Filed Feb. 24. 1922 I 1 InUeHZOr-J 10Tidier J. Mayei F9 MiW attorney-5;:

electrical conductors and connecting them l Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WALTER S. MAYER, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

/ '0 all whom. it may concern.

ELECTRIC GROUND CLAMP.

Application filed February 24,1922. Serial No. 538,898.

Be it known that I, VALTER S. MAYER, a citizen of the United States,residin in the city of Philadelphia, county of Fhiladelpine, and Stateof Pennsylvania, ha\'e.in-

vented certain Improvements in. Electric GroundClamps, of which thefollowing is a specification.

'lhis invention relates to clamps ot' the character applied to conduitsfor holding with ground conductors.

I t and having the open space 6 between them, I

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved clampofsimple charactor that can be appliedto conduits of different sizes andconnected with. ground wires readily, so as to make good electricalcontacts with the conduit and the wire, without the use of solder.

The characteristic. features of my improvements are disclosed in: thefollowing description and the accompanying drawin sillustrating.preferred forms embodying tlie lathe lrawings, Fig. Lisaperspective view/oi a. devicemade inaccordance with my invention; Fig. 2is a side view ot a section of the same having a bolt therein; Fig. 3 isa plan view of the device clamped on a condult and to a conductor forgrounding the same; Fig.4 is a side View ota form ot the constructionconnecting a conduit with a wire; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modifiedform of the device connected with a wire adapted to be bent around andclamped on -a conduit, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of theconstruction shown in Fig. 5.

The invention, in the form thereof illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,comprises a metal strip (preferably copper) having the straight section1 containing the holes 2,

the curved section 3 at the rear of the section 1 the-fiat section 4extending earwardly from the sect-ion 3, the curved or looped sections 5connected with the-section the section 7 extending forwardly from theparts 5 and having the curved terminal or sent- 8 adjacent to the outersurface of the curve 3, and the lug 9 rovided by metal cut from thespace 6 and hent transversely to the section 4, the parts 4 and 7 havingthe holes 10 therein for the passage of a bolt ll.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the section 1 is adapted to be bent around aconduit 12 from the section 3, which. approximately fits into alignment;with the holes 10. The bolt 11- is passedthrough a split spring washer13 and through the aligned holes. A wire 14 has its endpassed-throughthe loops 5 and then bent backand passed through the loop 8 after the,insertion of the bolt or this'U- shaped end can be inserted between theparts 4 and 7 so that its parts 14 and 14" will be in the respectiveseats 5 and insertion of the bolt. 1

The tightenin r ot the bolt 11 presses the part 1 against tie part 9which spaces the parts 1 and 4, as the wire spaces the parts 4 and 7, soas to.provide capacity in the separated-parts to continue movementtogether under pressure, without contact, as a result of the action ofthe bolt together with the washer thereon, which effects not only aclose contact of the clamps with the 'conduit. and with thewireinitiallyybut maintains that contact, 'due to the resiliency of theparts.

As-illustrated in'Fi'g. 4, the-part? may he a substantial tangentialextension from the loops 5 with the downw ardly t'urnedjlip 8' at theforwardend thereof, the depressed relation of this-part 7 to the parts'5'and 8 (as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2) being eliminated. I

.As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the device comprises the section 1with. the holes 2 therein, the curved section 3 at the rear end thereof,the section 4 at the rear of the section 3 with the lugs 4 cut in andturned outwardly from the sides thereof, and the downwardly bent lug 9'formed at the rear end thereof. In this construction, the ground wire 14has the U formed by its end sections 14. and 14 disposed between thelugs 4 so as to be tightly engaged by .the washer '13 when drawn down bythe bolt 11 passing therethrough, through the section 4 and the section1 when bent around acouduit into contact with the lug 9.

It will be understood that, as in the ,pre-

vious construction, this form of the device 8 before the ins 16 2;against said lug and said'conductor against and 14-. against the; part4, the open space between the parts 1 and 4; and the split washer 13permitting the clamp to be drawn uptightly on the conduit, the groundwire engaged tightly to the clamptand the close 'contact's maintaine'das a result of the 0011- 'stant tension. Y

adapted for enga ing a conduit, a' section .adaptedffor engaging aconductor, a-lug for spacingfsaid sections apart 'and'means comprisinga. bolt passing' through' both-oi said sections for drawing said sectionfirst named .saidisection second name adaptedto be clamped around aconduit, a

sectlon adapted to be clamped to a conductor, a lug fixed to saidsection second named .forl spacingsaidsection first named relative-'.;;l'y thereto, and means comprising a bolt -:;-adapted. to" assthrough said sections for pressing fsai' rst section against said lug,

Q'clarnpingis'aid rs section oni'said conduit 7 and olampin second naine"a' conductor 5 to said section ilile' section adapted to beentcgralISfEI therewith/ and having a lug pro'iecting therefrom, loopshaving a space 'b jtween them integrally connected .withsaidmmtlmopposite sides of said lug and a perlorated part'integrallyconnected with, Said loops; in combination with a bolt adaptedtoepa'sthrough said parts to clamp them upon 'a wire and through saidsection to clamp it on'a eonduit.

4, Anselectrle-clamp comprising a strip of flexible'imetal having aperforated section adaptedto ,be bent around a conduit, a perforatedsection having a lug thereon for engaging said section first named, aloop at the rear of'said-section second named on theoppositeside-thereof from said lng,'a1id means for drawing said, sectionfirst nan' ed against a conduit and for drawing said loop against awire. f i a I 5. An electric clamp comprising a sheet ofmaterial-forming a wire engaging scetion provided with a lug benttherefrom and i wire engaging-means bent therefrom opposite-1y to-saidlug and a'conduit engaging section consisting of'an apertured strap, andmeans for-idrawing-said strap against said lug and a wirc'against saidwire "engaging section.. i. r

6. An electric clamp comprising aconduit-engagin g strap and aconductor-engaging socket consisting of an extension of said strap and aclip hingedly eonnectedtherewith, said socket containing aligned boltAn'eleotric. clamp "comprising a section.

apertures and having cond-uctor-engaging forregistrationwitha boltpassed throngh said socket apertures between said walls for engagingtogether said looped conductor and Y said-socket me1nbers,th legslof theconduetor loop being drawn against thesame surface of the extension andsaid apertured strap section being drawn by said bolt toward the face ofsaid extension opposite'said conductor-engaging walls. 1

7. electricclampiooxnprising a flexible a looped Wire and abolt passingthrough said clip between said channels to: clamp both legs of thelooped wire against the same surface of'said strap; said strap having anapertured section through which said bolt" my name this 23rd'day ofFebruary, 1922.

WALTER s. MAYER.

so f

